Regenerator air-lift system and apparatus therefor



April 29 1924:.

'E. M. ROGERS REGENERATOR AIR LIFT SYSTEM AND APPARATUS THEREFOR Filed April 27 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 In uen fort April 29. 19249 1,491,822

, E.M.ROGERS REGENERATOR AIR LIFT SYSTEM AND APPARATUS THEREFOR Filed April 27 1920 2 sheets-sheet 2 [12 061% for:

Edwin M30 62:25 ,By his oiifjy M Patented a as, test.

PATENT FFICE. I

EDWIN M. ROGERS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

REGENERATOR AIR-LIFT SYSTEM AND APPARATUS THEREFOR.

Application filed April 27, 1920. Serial No. 376,977.

To aZZ whom it may concern Be it known that 1, EDVVIN'BI. Roenns, a citizen of the United States, residing in New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Regenerator Air-Lift Systems and Apparatus Therefor, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to, and to improve ments upon, the system and apparatus for air-lifting liquids which is set forth in my Patent No. 1,339,137, issued May 4-, 1920, /Vherein the compound stream, or upflowing column, is regenerated by air segregation followed by re-aeration. A principal object of the present improvements is to furnish a method of and apparatus for accomplishing the described results by an airsegrega-- advantages are pointed out and explained in r the course of the following description.

My present invention is in part, in the nature of an mprovement in' and upon the apparatus and invention disclosed in my 'Patent No. 1,374,952, issued ri riiie, 1921,

to which reference may be had.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side view of an air-circuit regenerator air-lift system comprising certain of the present improvements.

Fig. 2 is a sectional side view of the regenerator in a preferred form and arrangement thereof.

Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the regenerator shown in Fig. 2, and is taken on line 33 thereof.

Figs. 4:, 5, and 6, illustrate further fea-' 'ticular tures, arrangements and modifications deemed to be within the purview of the.

present invention, and which are hereinafter set forth and explained in detail.

Similar characters designate like parts in all the views.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, a

lower uptake-pipe, P, and an upper uptakepipe, P are herein shown coupled together by a regenerator,-G. Compressed air may be supplied as usual, through a pipe, '21, from a source of compressed-air, (as for instance, an air compressor X),not shown; a valve, 21, in pipe 21 may be arranged to regulate such air supply in a customary manner. p a

The pipes, 1?, P may have different lengths and sizes according to the height-ofliftandthe capacity required in any parinstance. However, in some instances, the second pipe-length, at P (or a more extended series of them), may discharge into a second regenerator, as G connecting a third pipe length P In Fig. 1, the uptake-column'is shown as being set into a shaft or well,V\ filled with liquid, (this usually being water) up to the level V, which also indicates the submergence-he'ad, in this case, measured above the nozzle F. It will be understood, of course, that the air-lift, maybe supported and arranged in various ways, in accordance with known practice or local conditions.

The form of regenerat'or indicated at G, Fig. 1,is illustrated-in detail in Figs. 2

and 3, in which the casing B is shown constructed in the lower portion thereof, with the same arrangement of details as described in my said Patent No. 1,339,137. The segregation zone Z is upwardly enlarging from the pipe P, which is releasably connected by flange g, to the lower flange f, of said casing B. In the present instance, however,

the air-collecting chamber C forms the lower portion of an air conduit, M, which leads up (by a diversion path for the air-stream) to an annular air-chamber, M, that constitutes in effect, and functionally, the upper'part of such air-conduits, and surrounds the centrally-disposed re-aerator F. Said member C may be integrally connected to casing B by the walls 6, b, (Fig. 3), of the midlength portion of said'air conduit, and all 'minuting holes of a number and size suitable for the requirements in anyparticular instance.

The llquid-stream on being segregated and diverted in zone Z passes into the spacer, which may neari round chamber C, and is then guided by -suitably disposed wall-surfaces, as 1 r,

' portionate ratio.

ig. 2), into the open lower end of the re-aerator tube F, as will be readily under stood by a comparison of the several views and the foregoing description. the device of Fig. 2,, the air-segregation is effected in a concentric manner, and is directed toward the central axial line of the apparatus, and the re-aeration is effected from the exterior of the liquid-stream; and this stream, although subjected to a lateral diversion, has a continuous flow (in a concentric zone), without any inversion of the stream of liquid in any part thereof.

The rapid spreading of the aerated column in the lower part of the regenerator, due to the upwardly-increasing cross-sectional area, as already mentioned, operates.

not only to slacken the upflow velocity of the liquid, but also of the velocity. oft-he air-stream relative to the segregation zone of the apparatus. For instance,supposing that in the conduit just below the line 12 (Fig. 2),the liquid-stream is moving eight feet per second, and that the air-bubbles have thereincreased in'size to the extent of having a slippage velocity of eight feet per,

second: then the bubbles would be upwardly sixteen feet per second; in this case, the upfiow velocity of the liquidstream and the slippage-velocity of the bubbles in said stream, are equal. If, now, the stream be slackened to two feet per sec end, said bubbles-velocity will be reduced to ten feet per second relative to the apparatus, but the bubbles would then have a slippage velocity four times as great as the upfiow velocity of the liquid-stream. And,

moving consequently, the rate of segregative action would be increased, or multiplied, in a pro- In order to secure a proper speed of the upfiow, it is necessary, in practice,as in the case of ordinary air-lifts,-to have a submergence height or head, or a submergenceeffect, somewhat greater than re quired for merely balancing the total y or partially suia Thus, in

raeneea weight of the uptake column, or total lift; but since this allowance is readily made in a well-known manner, no allowance therefor has been considered in making the accompanying drawing.

Referring to 1 of my Patent No. 1,839,137, issued May 4, 1920, the lower uptake pipe, P, is therein shown terminating abruptly 'within the segregation chamber, and it is evident that in such a case, the upfiowing compound column,this being a composite stream of liquid and air,will,

on emerging from said tube, naturally blow and be disintegrated, so that all.

continuity thereof, as a stream, is lost. Thus n said instance, the arriving stream becomes discontinued, and another stream is newly-formed at the entrance to the next length, or uptake pipe, of the apparatus. These objections are avoided in the forms of apparatus. herein shown,and particularly in the apparatus illustrated in Figs. a d 6,by the use of means whereby the flow is continuous in a definite and continuous path.

In the particular form of apparatus'an. 7

ranged as illustrated in Fig. '2, the airstream component of the. compound upflowing column, is first diverted out of a direct path, and later returned, but in a .more subdivided form), into such path.

For instance, in Fig. 2, the said air-stream on emerging (still incorporated with the liquid stream) from pipe P, is at once segregated in zone Z and passed into the central conduit C, thence into the side-conduit S, and through the annular chamber M, and perforated tube F, into the liquid-column' at a position where this column is about to enter. the upper conduit P Thus the two component streams,the air-stream and the liquid-stream,are each diverted from a central or axial path, during a period of segregation, and are then re-combined into a compound'column in a central path, and into an aerated liquid column, at

a position beyond the position where the segregation was effected. V V

In this instance, 2 the liquidstream initial diversion occurs at Z and the reversion to central-path occursat f Whereas the divertingof the air-stream occurs atZ and the reversion thereof to central-path occurs at F, slightly beyond said reversion-position of the liquid stream. Thus air-stream and liquid-stream initial diversions occur in succession, as do the said reve-rsions thereof to a central path. The courses and relations ofthese streampaths, as to the said diversions and reversions are indicated by the dash-arrow lines a, a, of which (1 indicated the course or path of the air-stream, While the course of the liquidstream is indicated by the dash-. arrow line a. l 7 i 1,4.e1,eae

Giving o the normally rapid escapetrom of coalesced air-bubbles 1n the therein at the time of maximum aeration.

' air.

in this connection, it should be understood that. in some instances, a portion of such contained air will or may become so ab sorbed, or emulsified as to follow along in the n'ioving liquid column without being all segregated in the regenerator, but this action will normally and ordinarily occur only moderate degree, not materially objectionable.

When the water-level,-in the intermechamber,-is lowered, more air flows (in a given period) into upper pipe 1, and this lightens the column therein, which then, having less weight, offers less resistance to the upward fiow from lower pipe P into said chamber. The latter result increases both the liquid and air delivery into the regenerator, thereby raising the waterlei'el. which, in turn,reduces the outflow of Thus a fluctuation is produced, the range of which is determined by thevarying weights of the upfiowingcolumns in pipes P. P These effects (or results) are coactive, each instantly it occurs, so that the described balancing action is normally continuous and automatic within the working limits of the apparatus, and operates in an analagous manner in all the specific forms of the regenerators.

The particular manner whereby the compound stream of air and liquid. isseparated into the described two streams intermediate to the segregation and re-aeratinp; zone. or means. maybe described segregation by. or into. concentric zones. instance. in rig. 2. the compound in passing through none Z upwardly to line i l, becomessegi gated into a central area of air and a concentric outer area of liquid; thus the process of segregation, or disassociation,

tor shown in said view. there are. in at is by and in a concentric manner.

.t will be evident from Fig. 2 and the foregoing" description, that in the regeneraect. two apparatusesa lower one for toe itial segregation. and upper one 50.? reaeration. these two portions being in line and onstructed as one combined apparatus. in practice. however. this combined torn". may be modified without a departure from the general mode of action and the principle thereof. For instance. in the further improren'ient. illustrated in 5. the segregating part of the aratus is shown at G and a re-a-eration apparatus. at G For convenience of comparison. the details are mostly indicated by the same referencecharacters as in 2. Instead, however, of the stream-conduits being arranged to deliver upwardly (as already described in reference to Fig. these are in the form of laterall-extended pipes R, S. The pipe 5% is an air-stream conduit and pipe 3 a liquid-stream conduit, so that the scg;regated streams may be transferred laterally to a more or less distant. position, and there combined and conducted upwardly, the same as from the upper part of the regenerator (l, in Fig. 2. This lateral oftsetting of the upper pipe P relative to the' lower pipe P. pro? ides Itormeetingspecial conditions which may sometimes arise.

In said arrangement, of Fig. 5, the reaeration is eii'ected from the exterior by air passing from chamber M through perforations in lie-aerator wall F. In the same offset arrangement, the re-aeration may be effected from the centeroutwardly, by substituting a form of reaeration devices suitable therefor. F or instance, the form of arrangement G, as shown in Fig.6, may be used in place of the device G of Fig. 5. care being taken to place the device G at a proper elevation, and to have the pipes R. S, properly connected.

Instead of the extended ofi'se t arrangement, Fig. 5. ashort ott'set be used, of: which one form is illl'istrated in Fig. 4. In this modification, the pipe P delivers into a separation chamber, as in Fig. l of my aforesaid pateut.-and two conduits are provided, one for theair-stream, and another and lower one for the liquid-stream. The latter leads to the base of pipe I, while the air conduit S enters said uptake pipe P at a point higher up, and has a reaeration nozzle or like device..in proper positiontor' aerating the liquid entcringpipe i. from said lower conduit It. For reducing the splashing: or, blowing which may sometimes occur in chamber in. a perforated surge-plate L is shown. extending across said chamber, but with a free passage for liquid below the same; this surge-con troller may be tubular and extend around P, if desired. When the o fi'set distance from pipe P to pipe P is small. a combined receiving chamber for pipe P, and delivery channel for pipe P may be made in one. casting or member. and one "formyof this kind is the apparatus of Fig. 4;, is indicated by the dotted lines S, which show how the air pipe S may be carried down, and one end S thereof extended up into the pipe I, and there provided with an aerating device, as F. Also, said vertically-disposed pipe-end S may be slidabl fitted into the bearing therefor at 7', and thus be adjustable in height, for thereby regulating the position of the aerating device F; in this case, of course, the curved part- S of this pipe should be a flexible one, such as a rubber hose; or, one of soft metal may sometimes be found suitable. V

Said improvements in the initial aerating of the upiiowing column, are deemed to be especially desirable in regenerator air-lifts having a series of the regenerators, as shown for instance, in Fig.1, at G and 6?. This view, (Fig. 1). illustrates a further improvement whereby the liquid may be discharged in a non-aerated condition at the top of the column, in a quiet and steady manner, and

without risk of blowing out, and the loss of power due thereto. 7

In this system, Fig. 1, the regenerators 'G G may be preferably such as described in connection with 2, butthe forms shown in 'Fig. 6, may be employed in some instances, if desired, and, ii suitably arranged and connected. From the apparatus in the upper position, G the re-aerator is omitted, so that this apparatus operates only as a segregator. From the air-collecting chamber, as M the segregated air may be led out by a pipe p to the intake of any ordinary air-compressor of suitable capacity,-herein only symbolically indicated, at X,'or, to some other suitable airpressure-increasing means (not shown) appurtenant to the air-circuit. Preferably, an

' intermediate tank or reservoir-M of a considerable capacity, is also used, to prevent too greatfiuctuations in How and pressures. From the compressor X, theair-supply pipe 21 extends down to the initial aeration means, at F2 at the lower end of pipe P, similarly as lndicated in Fig. 1; or extends to a position in the column where the pres- 7 sure is greater than the pressure at the air- I V segregator G 7 temperature changes is involved in the operation. Theseadvantages are deemed to be of relatively great importance, especially in cases where the air-lift installation is a relatively permanent one. In practice, suitable air-iniet means (not shown) should be provided "for supplying from atmosphere to the compressor, Sufficient air to make up for any air absorbed and thus carriedofi by the discharged liquid through pipe P An im provement for this purpose is to constitute subject-matter in a separate application.

One advantage of this system and arrangement, of Fig. '1, is that the. pipe P may be carried in a lateral direction indicated for instance by dotted lines so that the elevated liquid may be discharged un-aerated, at points considerably distant from the uptake column.

By the use or" a series of the regenerators placed at frequent intervals in a single-stage air-lift column,this being the arrangement in F l,and by construction, or structurally-adjusting,each of those successive rogenerators for the column-velocity and pressure due to its position, and thus to freely pass the upflowing column with only a slight resistance while properly recomminuting the air-bubble content thereof, this single-stage regenerator system has, in practice, very great advantages over the ordinary compounded or muti-stage air-lift, and can be economically operated for the single-stage elevating of water to heights unusual by the air-lifting method, and with a submergence-head smaller than usual, (and also of a wider range), in proportion to the height to which the water maybe lifted.

The pair of adjacent uptake pipes, as P, 1, (Figs. 1, 2), being connected by a regenerator, the latter may be said to constitute a combined regenerator and uptake-columnmember, which has an upper delivery end and a lower intake or stream-receiving end. The re-aerator is adjacent to said delivery end, and the air and liquid segregating means,-also sometimes designated as the segregator,is in a position relatively adiacent to said intake end. Y After separation of the air and liquid into separate streams,

thcseare conducted to the re-aerator in opposing directions, or ways, respectively, and the stream-guiding means therefor operates also as a continuous-iiow maintaining means for the streams, whereby to conduct each stream to the air-comminuting zone or perforated area of the re-aerator ;'which zone is 7 shown in Fig. 2, asan air-comminuting annular zone, to which one said stream is brought to the interior and the other,prefcrably the air-stream,is brought or guided to the exterior. Thus the two said streams may be said to be recombined into a newly formed compound stream having the air contentthereof in a freshly comminuted form. In said closed air-circuit system, (Fig. 1), air segregated from one position, as F is next utilized for aeration at V a more advanced position in the circuit, but under a him menses higher pressure, this position being herein shown as the place o1 initial aeration of the upflowing column. Within the regenerator itselr",-as shown in Fig. 2,-this sequential segregation and re-use of the air occure in a more immediate manner, the re-use occurring at a position closely following the place of air-segregation, whereas in the apparatus of Fig. 1, these two successive positions, as F and G are much more remote from each other, but are in a single column and under the same subniergence effect. However, as regards the segregation of the air at one position in the column and a subsequent tense of the same air for aerating the liquid at another position in. the same column, those two systems are deemed to be, broadly considered, similar in character and as to sequence utility. Having thus described my invention,

a claim 1. In a regenerator airlift system, in combination, a liquid-uptake column; means for supplying air under greater than atmospheric pressure; means for conveying said air to the lower end of said column; and means arranged in said column for segregating air from liquid passing through the col umn and re-aerating the liquid with the segregated air; the last mentioned means comprising two adjacent channels each of which is substantially circumflex form when viewed in section, one channel being of uninterruptedtlow and the other channel being or" restricted flow "for segregating the air in said liquid,and means arranged between the channels for passage of the segregated air from the flow restricting channel to the channel of uninterrupted flow for re-aerating the liquid therein.

2. In an air-circuit regenerator air-lift system, in combination, a liquid-uptake column; means for supplying air under greater than atmospheric pressure; means for con veying said air to the lower end of said column; means arranged in said column for segregating air from liquid passing through the column and re-aerating the liquid with the segregated air; means for segregating air from said liquid after air segregation and re-aeration of the liquid by said .air segregating and re-aerating means; means for conveying to the air supplying means air segregated from the liquid by said air segregating means; and means for discharging the ale-aerated liquid from the upper end of said column; said means fordischarge being located at a higher level in said column than said air segregating means.

3. In an air-circuit regenerator air-lift system, in combination, a liquid-uptake column having sections; an air tank; and an air segregator having a casing comprising a liquid stream channel and an air segrega tion channel diverging from the stream channel and nnmunicating with the air tank; the air segregator being arranged in said column near the upper end thereof and providing means for maintaining section ends of the columnin alinement with each other and said stream channel communicating with the discharge outlet of said column at the upper end of the column.

a. In a regenerator air-lift system, incombination, a liquid-uptake column; means for supplying air under greater than atmospheric pressure; means for conveying air to the lower end oi said column; regenerators ior segregating the air from liquid pass ing through said column and re-aerating the liquid with the segregated air; cach oi said regenerators comprising a casing having therein two adjacent channels, one channel being of uninterrupted flow and the other channel being of restricted flow for segre at ing the air in said liquid, the channel of strictedfiow at its upper end "forminga channel of uninterrupted flow, and air comminuting means arranged between said chamber and channel for passage from said chamber to said channel of air segregated from said liquid for re-aerating the'liquid' in said channel. a

In a 'regenerator air-lift system, in combination, a liquid-uptake column having sections; means for supplying air under r'eaterthan atmospheric pressure; means for conveying said air to the lower end oi said column' and regenerators for segregating air "from liquid passing through. the column and re-aerating the liquid with the segregated air; each of said 'regenerators.

compising a casing having therein when viewed in section two adjacent channels of OlI'OllHlflGX "form, one channel being of uninterrupted :tlow and the other channel being of restricted flow for segregating the air in sa1d'liqu1d, the lower end or the channel of restricted flow being substantially coaxial with said column and the upper end chamber surrounding the upper end of the c of the channel of uninterrupted flow being substantially coaxial with said column, and air comminuting means arranged between the channels for passage of segregated air for re-aerating the liquid in the channel of uninterrupted flow; said casing providing means for maintaining column section ends in alinement with each other. e

6. In a regenerator air-lift system, in combination, a liquid-uptake column having sections; means for supplying air under greater than atmospheric pressure; means for conveying said air to the lower end of said column; and regeneratcrs for segregating air from liquid passing through said column and re-aerating the liquid with the segregated air; each of said regenerators comprising a casing having therein when viewed in section two adjacent channels of circumflex form, one channel being of uninterrupted fiow and the. other channel being of restricted flow for segregating the air in said liquid, the lower end of the channel of restricted flow being substantially coaxial with said column and the upper end of the channel of uninterrupted flow being substantially co-aXial with said column, the upperend of the channel of restricted flow providing a chamber surrounding the upper end of the channel of uninterrupted flow, and air comminuting means arranged between said chamber and the channel of uninterrupted flow for passage of segregated air for re-aerating the liquid in said channel; said casing providing means for maintaining column section ends in alinement with each other.

T. In an air-circuit regenerator air lift system comprising a liquid-uptake column having sections, an air segregator having a casing comprising a liquid stream channel and an air segregation channel diverging from the stream channel for passage of air therethrough; the air segregator being arranged in said column and providing means for maintaining section ends of the column in alinement and said stream channel communicating with a section end of said column.

8. In a regenerator air lift system having a liquid-uptalre column, a regenerator for segregating the air from liquid passing through said column and re-aerating "the liquid with the segregated air, said regener ator comprising a casing having therein two adjacent channels, one channel being of uninterrupted flow and the other channel being of restricted flow for segregating the air in said liquid, the channel of restricted flow at its upper end forming a chamber surrounding the channel of uninterrupted flow, and air comminuting means arranged between said chamber and channel for passage from said chamber to said channel of mete-2a 9. In a regenerator air lift system having a liquidaiptake column, a regenerator for segregating a1r from liquid passing through said column and re-aerating the liquid with the segregated air, said regenerator comprislng vlewed 1n sectlon two adjacent channels of circumflex form, one channel being ol un v a casing having therein when flow being substantially coaxial with said;

column, and air comminuting means ar ranged between the channels for passage of segregated air for reaerat ing the liquidin the channel of uninterrupted flow.

10. In a regenerator air lift system having a liquid-uptakecolumn, a regenerator' for segregating air from liquid passing through said column and re-aerating the liquid with the segregated a1r,ysa 1 d regenerator comprising a casing havlng therein when viewed in section two adjacent channels of circumflex form, one channel being of uninterrupted flow and the other channel being of restricted flow for segregating V the a1r in said hquid, the lower end of the chan-' nel of restricted flow being substantially coaxial with said column, the'upper end of the channel of uninterrupted flow being substantially coaxial with said column, the

upper end of the channel of restricted flow providing a chamber surrounding the up-' per end of'the channel of uninterrupted flow, and air comminuting means arranged between said chamber and the channel of uninterrupted flow for passage of segregated air for re-aerating the liquid in said channel.

EDWIN M/ROGERS Witnesses:

FRANcIs H. RIcHARDs, Acrmmns Rovneuo. 

